I think we agree on the basic principle: the 2-wheeled vehicles sold today are, for various reasons, getting less mileage than what's physically possible. But you think that's illogical, I think that's logical (though regrettable).
Oh, it's perfectly logical why motorcycles get such lousy mileage. Huge engines for the sake of acceleration on almost every "street" bike. Some of these bikes have more displacement in their engines than the 1.5L engine in my Civic, which is a bit excessive.
No one does...just like no one needs an SUV to get groceries, unless you're on an Indian reservation or archaeological dig. But we have yet to limit SUVs to Indians and archaeologists, and we have yet to restrict bikes to legal speeds, and I don't think we ever will.
Eh? What does speed have to do with fuel economy? Why do SUVs need to be limited to Indians and archaeologists buying groceries?
Have you been on a scooter lately? While a 125cc machine is obviously not going to be in the left lane of a controlled-access highway, from a standing start a scooter can hold its own. And then there's the growing category of "super scoots" or "sport scoots," but then you lose the high mileage. Which brings us back to the original point:
I've seen scooters lately. They're pretty much worthless on interstate highways, but work well in city traffic.
Exactly!!! Bikes don't have better fuel economy or emissions because we don't ask them to. That's not what the public looks for in a bike. SUVs don't get high mileage either, but manufacturers are making token efforts to shut up protesters/the government.
The public needs to start looking at bikes closer with regards to emissions. At the present time, a motorcycle is one of the worst vehicles to own as far as fuel economy and pollution are concerned.
You (the public) can't bitch and moan about SUV makers who have 5000 pound vehicles that get 20mpg, when the average "performance" street bike gets only 35-45mpg. That's pathetic efficiency for such a light vehicle (the motorcycle!).
To continue the metaphor, people want tough(-looking) vehicles even if they're just dropping off the kids. They want the look so much, they're willing to sacrifice mileage, handling...and several thousand dollars extra, which is why the automakers are obliging. Similarly, motorcycle buyers want manly vehicles, even if the plain, higher-mileage ones are already capable of breaking every speed limit in this country.
You and I would both like to see more sensible vehicles, but we're unfortunately in the minority. I buy and use sensible vehicles- my bike is small by American standards (I actually wanted a smaller one), and I drove my pickup once in the last month. I think I'm doing my part, but my money can't compensate for the thousands of people who want macho vehicles, EPA be damned. You said it yourself: "Unfortunately, no one rides scooters."
I'll agree with that. People need to wake up and smell the smog... Start shopping for vehicles a little more responsibly.
BTW, there's a physical reason why motorcycles and scooters don't get proportionally-better mileage than cars. The average motorcycle (and rider) has a drag coefficient of.7, twice as bad as a modern car, and right up there with pickup trucks. At low speeds, you're right, weight gives the 2-wheeler a distinct advantage. But at highway speeds, air resistance is the dominant loss-factor.
I don't know if I believe that or not. I find it hard to believe that a motorcycle has that crappy of aerodynamics. We're talking about a vehicle with literally less than 1/3 of the frontal surface area compared to the average sedan.
Also, if motorcycles had that much drag, they wouldn't be able to go nearly as fast as they can.
And I suppose your "readily available conventional cars" can do 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds? That's the oft-quoted GSXR1000 figure. To match it, let alone beat it, you have to go beyond Ferrari, to the McLarens and Vectors with >$250,000 price tags. Meanwhile the GSXR costs $11,000.
Who needs to do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds on your way to work every day?
I'm not talking about racing a car and bike, I'm talking about what you drive to and from work every day. How many street bikes actually get noticibly better mileage than a Honda Civic?
Okay, so that's an extreme example. The Ducati Monster 1000 doesn't even have a multivalve, liquid-cooled engine, yet it turns sub-4-second 0-60 times. Even stock Harleys will outdrag most mass-market cars at an intersection.
So, do any of those bikes get better than 55mpg? Again, I could care less about racing stats... I'm all about fuel economy of a bike (several hundred pounds) vs. a car (minimum of 2000 pounds, in most cases). Why can't bikes be fast and get good mileage too, compared to your average Honda Civic?
I think a more apples-to-apples comparison would be a conventional car to a scooter. After all, both are designed to be everyday vehicles, with all the compromises that entails. Then you get your 80 mpg. A hybrid car should be compared to a hybrid motorcycle, and yes they exist (in limited production, which is in line with the relative production quantities of hybrid cars.)
Scooters are much slower than the average four-door daily commuter, but do get excellent mileage. Unfortunately, no one rides scooters, compared to the number of motorcycles you see on the roads.
Hybrid motorcycles vs. hybrid cars is fine and dandy. I expect a hybrid motorcycle to get no less than 150mpg with the current technology available. Honda Insight's are good for over 70MPG highway, a bike should easily be double that figure (much less weight).
Your argument plays directly into the hands of Ford, GM, etc. "Sure we can make significant gains in mileage, but the consumer has largely rejected that. We should not be forced to build something that won't sell." While I agree that Ford, GM, et al are being evasive, and could certainly do more than they're doing, what they are doing is filling a niche. There are people who want SUVs even if they're just going to the mall. They'll pay the price, both financially and chemically.
You just summed up the attitude of bike makers as well, obviously.
Most automakers ARE pushing forward with alternatives. Honda and Toyota have done an excellent job with their first mass-produced hybrid automobiles (especially Honda). I have seen no mass-produced motorcycles that are advertised for their fuel economy and emissions.
Similarly, there are people who want the ability to go 190 mph, even though the odds of that actually occurring are nil. They, too, are putting up legal tender. Same thing with 6-foot-long chrome boats. I don't think race-replicas or custom cruisers make any more sense than SUVs, which is why I don't own any of the three. But no body has yet legislated logic or taste.
I don't see how any of the above is related to the discussion, but your last sentence I agree with entirely.
I'm sure some trucks are fitted with the smallest (cheapest) engine for their intended task. A speed limiter would help keep those trucks from operating outside of their most efficient RPM range.
But some trucks are more than capable of running at 80mph efficiently. Those kinds of trucks have speed limiters for liability reasons (accidents, speeding tickets, etc).
You're bike STILL isn't getting better mileage than readily available conventional gasoline/diesel powered cars, and definately no better than some of the hybrids available.
55mpg on a bike is pathetic. I think it's sad that the AVERAGE fuel economy for today's street bikes isn't well over 80MPG.
True, older diesels had problems running at their low idle setting for extended periods of time. That's why people retrofit a "high idle" switch for extended idling (kept cylinder pressure higher, heat higher, no unburnt fuel issues, no wasted fuel either) on the older diesel engines.
Newer diesel engines either perform the "high idle" automatically via computer monitoring, and/or come with the manual switch.
500,000 miles IS a freshly broken in semi engine. My brother just finished hauling freight for a company, using a company truck. His vehicle had over 800,000 miles on it, ran like a champ. My father purchased a semi with just under one million miles on it for use on the farm (hauls grain over the road to elevators/barges).
Speed limiters are for insurance purposes, nothing more, nothing less. Fast trucks are a liability, especially for a company that hires rookie drivers. They are not there to save fuel, they are not there to prevent idling.
Also, if you are a company driver (not owner-operator), you aren't going to give a rat's ass about fuel costs, period. You just turn in receipts.
Diesel's don't suck fuel when they're idling. Most people just don't realize that, plus the fact you WANT to keep the engine warm pretty much all the time.
Some people just don't have a clue when it comes to operating machinery.
Besides, a lot of drivers want to stay with their truck and their cargo.
It's also paid for, and much more convenient than trying to park your truck in a hotel parking lot.
You've got food, entertainment (man, you should see some of the stereo/DVD systems in these trucks!), a comfy place to sleep, and lots of rest stops to choose from to park for the night.
Both my father and brother own an almost matching set of semis. They're little Ford L9000 semis with a day-cab (no ammenities, not even a passenger seat), and single rear axle. They have slightly different transmissions, but otherwise look and drive the same.
They're about the smallest tractor you would WANT to drive any amount of distance in.
They both pull small 22' grain trailers for their farms. They both get around 9-12MPG loaded. Depends where they load up, (river bottoms have shitty inclines that just eat fuel to make it to the paved roads), and where they haul the grain.
These trucks aren't anything fancy, and they don't have huge engines.
...after they've been shut down for an extended period of time.
Truckers and other operators of heavy machinery (farmers, construction, etc) let their engines idle because shuting them down and starting them back up is harder on the engines. Oil drains into the pan, more friction on start up than just leaving it idle for a while.
Also, diesel engines are pretty remarkable when it comes to fuel economy, especially idling. In fact, most diesel engines will actually increase their idle RPM by a couple hundred RPMs during extended idles, because the engine will cool off too much! This results in unburnt fuel that clings to the cylinder walls, some of which will be pulled past the piston rings, causing friction (washing down cylinder walls with diesel instead of oil), and oil contamination.
Also, some trucks aren't all that reliable when it comes to a cold start-up. Almost every time I've been to a truck stop with the CB turned on, I've heard a trucker asking for someone with a chain to give them a pull so they could start their engine.
During the winter, letting your diesel engine become cold can really screw you over, especially if you forgot to purchase winterized fuel. Gotta keep the fuel somewhat warm, otherwise it turns to gel when the temps drop into single digits (untreated).
There are plenty of VERY good reasons those truckers leave their engines idling.
Re:Not my Honda... :-(
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42-Volt Autos
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I like the idea of owning a car that will last long enough so my kids could possibly drive it one day.
"Where does it plug in, dad?"
"I dudn't, son. Here, pour some of this moonshine into that there funnel behind that door on the side of the car. *HIC*"
Re:Not my Honda... :-(
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42-Volt Autos
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· Score: 1
30mpg isn't bad for an ACCORD! You've got a larger car!;-)
My car was an electrical nightmare as well, but that was all fixed the weekend I bought it. Some people could stand to learn a little patience when replacing burnt wiring harnesses.
Suspension is hell. My driver's front shock is gone, springs are going all the way around.
I think the fuel filter was original. Took me an hour to remove it, due to frozen fittings. I smacked it upside-down on the garage floor, and mud came out. Not surprisingly, the car has much more power now!:-)
For your idle problems, check your vaccuum system. A leak could cause that kind of idle.
Just because you do manual labor doesn't mean you can't be considered "in". I know several "office professionals" that restore old cars, tool around on their boat (that they fixed up themselves), do their own home repairs and improvements, etc. They obviously don't have a problem with these types of tasks interfering with their social status.
Manual labor is a good distraction for some people too. Working outside on the weekends or after work during the week can help with stress and clear your mind.
You have entirely the wrong attitude regarding non-office jobs, which is why you're receiving so much "flack" from people. I'd rather be blue collar the rest of my life than have your attitude.
Re:Not my Honda... :-(
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42-Volt Autos
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· Score: 1
Well, I just turned 190K miles on the odometer on Friday.
It runs OK. I just replaced every single filter in the car, and switched to full synthetic oil. I need to replace the timing belt, and the suspension's pretty much shot all the way around. Clutch also needs replaced, and I believe I'm starting to lose the synchros for 3rd and 5th gear.
Gets around 40mpg average (city and highway, mostly highway).
It runs, and it's been reliable. Unfortunately, with all the rust going on underneath the car, I'm afraid I'm going to hit a bump one day and see a shock tower pop through my hood or trunk!
Re:Not my Honda... :-(
on
42-Volt Autos
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· Score: 1
I know it's 15 now, I'd love to get another 15 out of it!
It looks great on the outside, but my poor '88 Civic LX is rusting like a mofo from the inside out.
I hope it lasts me another four years, at which time I'll be able to afford a new card. Be nice to see what kind of hybrids are available at that time!
Get off your high horse, and thank the people who support the infrastructure you couldn't live without. Electricity, telecommunications, freight, plumbing, road repair, auto mechanics... All the way down to the neighborhood kid you pay $10 to mow your lawn every week.
The experiences I had growing up on a farm, working as a janitor, mowing grass for the Army Corps of engineers, doing CAD work for a manufacturing facility as well as QA, delivering pizza, and automotive repair have served me well now that I'm working full-time as a systems engineer. I don't see how I could have a more well rounded education!
Don't you dare look down on today's blue collar workers. Any one of them could be your boss tomorrow.
Ugh. This could be a good thing (widespread use of Linux and GPL apps), or a bad thing (widespread use of Linux and GPL apps while breaking GPL).
Instead of bashing every company left and right, why don't we make an honest effort to assist them with becoming compliant with the GPL (if they are in fact breaking it)?
I had the same problem when I was working 80 hour weeks for a while back around '99-01.
Turns out my problem was associated with an accute LACK of potassium in my system.
I started taking a daily multivitamin in addition to eating a little better. Still chuggin' liters upon liters of Mt. Dew, Dr. Pepper, Coke and coffee, no problems since.
Slashdot Mirror
I think we agree on the basic principle: the 2-wheeled vehicles sold today are, for various reasons, getting less mileage than what's physically possible. But you think that's illogical, I think that's logical (though regrettable).
.7, twice as bad as a modern car, and right up there with pickup trucks. At low speeds, you're right, weight gives the 2-wheeler a distinct advantage. But at highway speeds, air resistance is the dominant loss-factor.
Oh, it's perfectly logical why motorcycles get such lousy mileage. Huge engines for the sake of acceleration on almost every "street" bike. Some of these bikes have more displacement in their engines than the 1.5L engine in my Civic, which is a bit excessive.
No one does...just like no one needs an SUV to get groceries, unless you're on an Indian reservation or archaeological dig. But we have yet to limit SUVs to Indians and archaeologists, and we have yet to restrict bikes to legal speeds, and I don't think we ever will.
Eh? What does speed have to do with fuel economy? Why do SUVs need to be limited to Indians and archaeologists buying groceries?
Have you been on a scooter lately? While a 125cc machine is obviously not going to be in the left lane of a controlled-access highway, from a standing start a scooter can hold its own. And then there's the growing category of "super scoots" or "sport scoots," but then you lose the high mileage. Which brings us back to the original point:
I've seen scooters lately. They're pretty much worthless on interstate highways, but work well in city traffic.
Exactly!!! Bikes don't have better fuel economy or emissions because we don't ask them to. That's not what the public looks for in a bike. SUVs don't get high mileage either, but manufacturers are making token efforts to shut up protesters/the government.
The public needs to start looking at bikes closer with regards to emissions. At the present time, a motorcycle is one of the worst vehicles to own as far as fuel economy and pollution are concerned.
You (the public) can't bitch and moan about SUV makers who have 5000 pound vehicles that get 20mpg, when the average "performance" street bike gets only 35-45mpg. That's pathetic efficiency for such a light vehicle (the motorcycle!).
To continue the metaphor, people want tough(-looking) vehicles even if they're just dropping off the kids. They want the look so much, they're willing to sacrifice mileage, handling...and several thousand dollars extra, which is why the automakers are obliging. Similarly, motorcycle buyers want manly vehicles, even if the plain, higher-mileage ones are already capable of breaking every speed limit in this country.
You and I would both like to see more sensible vehicles, but we're unfortunately in the minority. I buy and use sensible vehicles- my bike is small by American standards (I actually wanted a smaller one), and I drove my pickup once in the last month. I think I'm doing my part, but my money can't compensate for the thousands of people who want macho vehicles, EPA be damned. You said it yourself: "Unfortunately, no one rides scooters."
I'll agree with that. People need to wake up and smell the smog... Start shopping for vehicles a little more responsibly.
BTW, there's a physical reason why motorcycles and scooters don't get proportionally-better mileage than cars. The average motorcycle (and rider) has a drag coefficient of
I don't know if I believe that or not. I find it hard to believe that a motorcycle has that crappy of aerodynamics. We're talking about a vehicle with literally less than 1/3 of the frontal surface area compared to the average sedan.
Also, if motorcycles had that much drag, they wouldn't be able to go nearly as fast as they can.
And I suppose your "readily available conventional cars" can do 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds? That's the oft-quoted GSXR1000 figure. To match it, let alone beat it, you have to go beyond Ferrari, to the McLarens and Vectors with >$250,000 price tags. Meanwhile the GSXR costs $11,000.
Who needs to do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds on your way to work every day?
I'm not talking about racing a car and bike, I'm talking about what you drive to and from work every day. How many street bikes actually get noticibly better mileage than a Honda Civic?
Okay, so that's an extreme example. The Ducati Monster 1000 doesn't even have a multivalve, liquid-cooled engine, yet it turns sub-4-second 0-60 times. Even stock Harleys will outdrag most mass-market cars at an intersection.
So, do any of those bikes get better than 55mpg? Again, I could care less about racing stats... I'm all about fuel economy of a bike (several hundred pounds) vs. a car (minimum of 2000 pounds, in most cases). Why can't bikes be fast and get good mileage too, compared to your average Honda Civic?
I think a more apples-to-apples comparison would be a conventional car to a scooter. After all, both are designed to be everyday vehicles, with all the compromises that entails. Then you get your 80 mpg. A hybrid car should be compared to a hybrid motorcycle, and yes they exist (in limited production, which is in line with the relative production quantities of hybrid cars.)
Scooters are much slower than the average four-door daily commuter, but do get excellent mileage. Unfortunately, no one rides scooters, compared to the number of motorcycles you see on the roads.
Hybrid motorcycles vs. hybrid cars is fine and dandy. I expect a hybrid motorcycle to get no less than 150mpg with the current technology available. Honda Insight's are good for over 70MPG highway, a bike should easily be double that figure (much less weight).
Your argument plays directly into the hands of Ford, GM, etc. "Sure we can make significant gains in mileage, but the consumer has largely rejected that. We should not be forced to build something that won't sell." While I agree that Ford, GM, et al are being evasive, and could certainly do more than they're doing, what they are doing is filling a niche. There are people who want SUVs even if they're just going to the mall. They'll pay the price, both financially and chemically.
You just summed up the attitude of bike makers as well, obviously.
Most automakers ARE pushing forward with alternatives. Honda and Toyota have done an excellent job with their first mass-produced hybrid automobiles (especially Honda). I have seen no mass-produced motorcycles that are advertised for their fuel economy and emissions.
Similarly, there are people who want the ability to go 190 mph, even though the odds of that actually occurring are nil. They, too, are putting up legal tender. Same thing with 6-foot-long chrome boats. I don't think race-replicas or custom cruisers make any more sense than SUVs, which is why I don't own any of the three. But no body has yet legislated logic or taste.
I don't see how any of the above is related to the discussion, but your last sentence I agree with entirely.
I'm sure some trucks are fitted with the smallest (cheapest) engine for their intended task. A speed limiter would help keep those trucks from operating outside of their most efficient RPM range.
But some trucks are more than capable of running at 80mph efficiently. Those kinds of trucks have speed limiters for liability reasons (accidents, speeding tickets, etc).
They've had ReiserFS support at install time for a while now.
Wow. A whole 55MPG on a bike.
You're bike STILL isn't getting better mileage than readily available conventional gasoline/diesel powered cars, and definately no better than some of the hybrids available.
55mpg on a bike is pathetic. I think it's sad that the AVERAGE fuel economy for today's street bikes isn't well over 80MPG.
True, older diesels had problems running at their low idle setting for extended periods of time. That's why people retrofit a "high idle" switch for extended idling (kept cylinder pressure higher, heat higher, no unburnt fuel issues, no wasted fuel either) on the older diesel engines.
Newer diesel engines either perform the "high idle" automatically via computer monitoring, and/or come with the manual switch.
500,000 miles IS a freshly broken in semi engine. My brother just finished hauling freight for a company, using a company truck. His vehicle had over 800,000 miles on it, ran like a champ. My father purchased a semi with just under one million miles on it for use on the farm (hauls grain over the road to elevators/barges).
Speed limiters are for insurance purposes, nothing more, nothing less. Fast trucks are a liability, especially for a company that hires rookie drivers. They are not there to save fuel, they are not there to prevent idling.
Also, if you are a company driver (not owner-operator), you aren't going to give a rat's ass about fuel costs, period. You just turn in receipts.
You're absolutely right.
Diesel's don't suck fuel when they're idling. Most people just don't realize that, plus the fact you WANT to keep the engine warm pretty much all the time.
Some people just don't have a clue when it comes to operating machinery.
...than most hotel rooms.
Besides, a lot of drivers want to stay with their truck and their cargo.
It's also paid for, and much more convenient than trying to park your truck in a hotel parking lot.
You've got food, entertainment (man, you should see some of the stereo/DVD systems in these trucks!), a comfy place to sleep, and lots of rest stops to choose from to park for the night.
Both my father and brother own an almost matching set of semis. They're little Ford L9000 semis with a day-cab (no ammenities, not even a passenger seat), and single rear axle. They have slightly different transmissions, but otherwise look and drive the same.
They're about the smallest tractor you would WANT to drive any amount of distance in.
They both pull small 22' grain trailers for their farms. They both get around 9-12MPG loaded. Depends where they load up, (river bottoms have shitty inclines that just eat fuel to make it to the paved roads), and where they haul the grain.
These trucks aren't anything fancy, and they don't have huge engines.
Both trucks only have dual 80 gallon tanks.
...after they've been shut down for an extended period of time.
Truckers and other operators of heavy machinery (farmers, construction, etc) let their engines idle because shuting them down and starting them back up is harder on the engines. Oil drains into the pan, more friction on start up than just leaving it idle for a while.
Also, diesel engines are pretty remarkable when it comes to fuel economy, especially idling. In fact, most diesel engines will actually increase their idle RPM by a couple hundred RPMs during extended idles, because the engine will cool off too much! This results in unburnt fuel that clings to the cylinder walls, some of which will be pulled past the piston rings, causing friction (washing down cylinder walls with diesel instead of oil), and oil contamination.
Also, some trucks aren't all that reliable when it comes to a cold start-up. Almost every time I've been to a truck stop with the CB turned on, I've heard a trucker asking for someone with a chain to give them a pull so they could start their engine.
During the winter, letting your diesel engine become cold can really screw you over, especially if you forgot to purchase winterized fuel. Gotta keep the fuel somewhat warm, otherwise it turns to gel when the temps drop into single digits (untreated).
There are plenty of VERY good reasons those truckers leave their engines idling.
I like the idea of owning a car that will last long enough so my kids could possibly drive it one day.
"Where does it plug in, dad?"
"I dudn't, son. Here, pour some of this moonshine into that there funnel behind that door on the side of the car. *HIC*"
30mpg isn't bad for an ACCORD! You've got a larger car! ;-)
:-)
My car was an electrical nightmare as well, but that was all fixed the weekend I bought it. Some people could stand to learn a little patience when replacing burnt wiring harnesses.
Suspension is hell. My driver's front shock is gone, springs are going all the way around.
I think the fuel filter was original. Took me an hour to remove it, due to frozen fittings. I smacked it upside-down on the garage floor, and mud came out. Not surprisingly, the car has much more power now!
For your idle problems, check your vaccuum system. A leak could cause that kind of idle.
I think I'm just observing a social dynamic and offering a warning about the downside to taking a blue collar job.
What is that? That by taking a blue collar job, you'll end up sounding ignorant?
You already sound ignorant. Find another excuse.
Just because you do manual labor doesn't mean you can't be considered "in". I know several "office professionals" that restore old cars, tool around on their boat (that they fixed up themselves), do their own home repairs and improvements, etc. They obviously don't have a problem with these types of tasks interfering with their social status.
Manual labor is a good distraction for some people too. Working outside on the weekends or after work during the week can help with stress and clear your mind.
You have entirely the wrong attitude regarding non-office jobs, which is why you're receiving so much "flack" from people. I'd rather be blue collar the rest of my life than have your attitude.
Well, I just turned 190K miles on the odometer on Friday.
It runs OK. I just replaced every single filter in the car, and switched to full synthetic oil. I need to replace the timing belt, and the suspension's pretty much shot all the way around. Clutch also needs replaced, and I believe I'm starting to lose the synchros for 3rd and 5th gear.
Gets around 40mpg average (city and highway, mostly highway).
It runs, and it's been reliable. Unfortunately, with all the rust going on underneath the car, I'm afraid I'm going to hit a bump one day and see a shock tower pop through my hood or trunk!
I know it's 15 now, I'd love to get another 15 out of it!
They just don't build them like they used to.
It looks great on the outside, but my poor '88 Civic LX is rusting like a mofo from the inside out.
I hope it lasts me another four years, at which time I'll be able to afford a new card. Be nice to see what kind of hybrids are available at that time!
Student loans have to be the easiest of loans to pay off. Where else are you going to get such a great interest rate, and low monthly payments?
If you can't afford to support yourself on $10-15 an hour, you're doing something seriously wrong. Time for a lifestyle adjustment, pal.
People live on $10 an hour or less every day. Some support families on that kind of pay. Suck it up, and have a dose of reality.
Literally.
Get off your high horse, and thank the people who support the infrastructure you couldn't live without. Electricity, telecommunications, freight, plumbing, road repair, auto mechanics... All the way down to the neighborhood kid you pay $10 to mow your lawn every week.
The experiences I had growing up on a farm, working as a janitor, mowing grass for the Army Corps of engineers, doing CAD work for a manufacturing facility as well as QA, delivering pizza, and automotive repair have served me well now that I'm working full-time as a systems engineer. I don't see how I could have a more well rounded education!
Don't you dare look down on today's blue collar workers. Any one of them could be your boss tomorrow.
Ugh. This could be a good thing (widespread use of Linux and GPL apps), or a bad thing (widespread use of Linux and GPL apps while breaking GPL).
Instead of bashing every company left and right, why don't we make an honest effort to assist them with becoming compliant with the GPL (if they are in fact breaking it)?
I had the same problem when I was working 80 hour weeks for a while back around '99-01.
Turns out my problem was associated with an accute LACK of potassium in my system.
I started taking a daily multivitamin in addition to eating a little better. Still chuggin' liters upon liters of Mt. Dew, Dr. Pepper, Coke and coffee, no problems since.
Satellite service is a rip off. So is standard cable, IMHO.
I'll keep my friggin' antenna, thank you. I get plenty of radio and television stations already, and all I have to do is put up with commercials.
With satellite and cable TV service, I'd be paying to watch the same (if not more) commercials.
Why the hell would anyone want to pay a monthly fee that includes advertising? They don't even do that at Slashdot!
Could you kindly point out where these "pro's" have been hiding? Thanks.
And don't blame Slashdot for ruining your relationship. This site certianly isn't for people who have lives.
...to be fed a couple cheeseburgers. Damn, put some meat on those bones!
I think you need to compare what the wackos did on 9/11 to Pearl Harbor, not the Blitz in England.
We were attacked on our own soil. The end result has been the same in both situations.